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District projects enrollment declines and plans to recoup about 13 teacher allocations to help close budget gap
Summary
District staff told the board that 130th-day counts show an overall enrollment decline of 191 students and proposed recouping approximately 13 teacher allocations (through attrition and scheduling) to free roughly $1.3 million for the 2026–27 budget; board members pressed for clarity on which programs and special-area positions would be affected.
District staff presented the 130th-day enrollment report and preliminary local teacher allocations for 2026–27, telling the board the district is down 191 students from the prior comparable count and that staff have identified about 13 allocations that could be recouped to help balance the budget.
A staff presenter described the allocation formulas the district uses (21:1 K–8, 18:1 first grade, and either 16:1 or 18:1 for high schools) and said the district is using attrition and scheduling adjustments to avoid layoffs where possible. "For 2627 ... our enrollment was 7006 33. We're down a 191," the presenter stated. The presenter added that recouping 13 allocations is "equivalent to just under $1,300,000 that would be available to help balance our budget."
Board members asked for a detailed review of the "extra" local allocations (interventionists, STEM, music, science, JAG, career specialists and special-area positions) and whether those positions are still needed in each school. One board member asked whether the district had taken a "deep dive" into the outcomes produced by those extra positions; the presenter and Superintendent Dr. Gause said principals are preparing schedules and justifications and that the administration will provide more information at upcoming workshops.
Dr. Gause stressed the district's goal of preserving classroom instruction and providing common planning time where possible while noting the difficulty of balancing program needs with declining enrollment. "Our goal is to try to make sure our teachers can have common planning and they have others to plan with," she said.
Staff indicated some allocations (special-area elementary teachers and certain title-based positions) are handled outside the recoup calculations. The board was told the administration expects to bring more detailed budget numbers and schedules at the next work session and during preparation of the first draft of the 2026–27 budget.
